What is Dorkbot?

• It’s a science fair with beer.
• It’s a geek talent show.
• It’s people doing strange things with electricity.
• Best of all, it’s fun, free, kid-friendly and hands-on.

We think dorkbot is exactly what Austin is all about. Nerds, artists, musicians all come together to show off their work in a casual environment. Previous dorkbot events have included singing robots, lightning bolt generators, hacked nintendos, and somebody crazy enough to electrocute a pickle. dorkbot was most recently featured on Austin Technology Matters, a new show on Austin cable access.”

Truth is, we had a little trouble wrangling enough presenters to make for an interesting evening due to vacations and August weirdness.

The good news is that we are expecting a super-duper-happy-fun time on September 14, 2006, 8PM at Cafe Mundi and already have some really incredible speakers lined up.

In lieu of dorkbot this week, here’s our challenge to you:

Put at least 20 minutes into making something today. **

It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t have to be over-the-top technical or revolutionary. It just has to be 20 minutes of solid effort. 20 minutes is small. It’s doable. It’s not staying up all night. It’s just making the commitment to your passion for about 2.404750594 as long as it takes light to reach earth from the sun. from the SUN!

Oh, yeah. Spend 20 minutes getting your hands dirty on something – physically working on something with your hands.

It doesn’t count to just read about a project or surf the web for ideas (those things are important, but our challenge to you is to get past WONDERING and get to BUILDING).

If you have a project you’ve been kicking around in your garage – tinker around on it for 20 minutes right now. Got a software art project that’s been gathering dust? 20 minutes to add a new feature. Go. T-shirt with a stitched octopus that lights up with LEDs? 20 minutes to create the design.. no coffee break, please. Robot chassis modification? 20 minutes with a dremel and you’re done. That “wouldn’t-it-be-cool-if” idea you have been sketching in your notebook? It ain’t all that cool unless it becomes real.

So make it real.

Then let us know about your project, no matter how “incomplete” it happens to be. At dorkbot, the process IS the art… and this community could probably help you along the way.

We have an unmoderated mailing list for all us dorks to kick around build ideas. Sign up here: http://music.columbia.edu/mailman/listinfo/dorkbotaustin-blabber

Thanks again for your patience and we can’t wait to start hearing about all those mad science projects in Austin!

**(if you’re already spending 20 minutes or more a day on projects, then, for crying out loud, email right now so we can schedule you for a dorkbot meeting)

dork on!

Go listen… Do I really sound like that?

http://friendstalking.joelandkaren.com/blogArchives/2006/07/dorkbot_austin.html

We were featured on News 8 Austin and had a write-up of our inaugural insanity (with some great photos of the presenters’ dangerous creations) in the Austin American Statesman last Saturday: “Get your dork on – Grownups who like to play with electricity get a charge out of showing off their projects at Dorkbot Austin.”

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And now we’re at it again!

If you know what’s best for you and for humanity, you will NOT miss Dorkbot Austin 2 Thursday, July 13 8PM Cafe Mundi

Dorkbot Austin 2 June 13, 2006 – 8:00PM Cafe Mundi, 1704 East 5th St. Very kid-friendly event.

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Please forward this email to everyone you know… before it’s too late.

It’s a celebration of tinkering – people doing strange thing with electricity. Fringe finding at its finest.

We have some amazing presentations lined up:

• Joel Greenberg demonstrates how to beat movie studios at their own game with his cost-effective zeppelin microphone

• disturbed members of Austin’s very own Robot Group (http://www.robotgroup.net) bring the relentless sea shanty singing Babbling Head. Be very afraid.

• Rich LeGrand, from Charmed Labs, shows you how coerce a Nintendo Game Boy and some legos into a robot – one that can see images and can be controlled over the Internet

• jamie O’shea shows off creations including his Wamcam – a device that prints photos on your eyes instead of film

In addition, You’re invited to show off your dark, garage experiments (you know, the one that creeps out your neighbors and runs up the power bill) during “Open Dork,” a rapid-fire open mic.

DJ KDH spins between presentations.

Hope to see you there!